Edinburgh Park's Ian Smith and bloodstock agent Sheamus Mills pulled off somewhat of a logistical miracle negotiating the purchase and transport of Piacenza from a strife-torn Venezuela early last year and the reward is a filly, who while a couple of weeks earlier than expected, is already making an impression.
"It’s good for everyone here and the foal was great. She's got a good birth weight for a first foal of around 50kg, so that's a good size for a maiden mare. She's come two and half weeks early, but everything so far is good and healthy," Smith said.
The effort that went into securing Piacenza, outlined by Mills in an article in TDN AusNZ last May (link below), was driven by Smith's desire to further expand his association with a successful North American family.
A number of years ago, Smith had great success with a mare called Gainesville (Can) (Afleet {USA}), who has become a significant influence in Australian breeding, chiefly through her daughter Mica's Pride (Bite The Bullet {USA}), the dam of Group 1 winners Criterion (Sebring) and Comin' Through (Fastnet Rock).
Smokin' Alice (USA) | Image courtesy of Sheamus Mills Bloodstock
He also took a shine to the progeny of Gainesville's Listed winning half-sister Darling Alice (USA) (Northern Flagship {USA}), buying three of her mares, Nothin But A Dream (USA) (First Defence {USA}), Smokin' Alice (USA) (Smoke Glacken {USA}) and Alice's Smart (Smart Strike {USA}).
Piacenza hails from the same family, being out of another of Darling Alice's daughters, Quiet Alice (USA) (Quiet American {USA}). She fit the bill in terms of race performance as well, having won seven times in nine races including the G3 Clasico Segula.
But getting a broodmare prospect out of a country which has descended into civil unrest, and which was in a customs dispute with the United States, the only country which could have realistically been an exit point for a thoroughbred, was quite the ask.
"We had a lot of faith in old-fashioned business handshakes and trust in people and everyone has delivered the goods. It was excellent," Smith said.
"Venezuela was going through a pretty horrid time at that period. There were a lot of issues. We couldn’t get paperwork signed because the government buildings weren't operational, lack of electricity and all sorts of things. It was satisfying just to get her on the plane."
Eventually arriving in Kentucky in May last year, Piacenza would have to serve out a six-month quarantine before being allowed to travel to Australia. She was put in foal to Darley's Medaglia D'Oro and arrived at Edinburgh Park, Wingham, in December last year.
Family reputation continues to grow
The past eight months have been comparatively low key for the much-valued mare, but as she has waited to foal, the value of her extended family has continued to grow.
An Exceed And Excel colt out of Smokin' Alice was sold by Edinburgh Park for $1 million to Gerald Ryan and David Raphael at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, while that colt's half-brother Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock), finished second in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, but was last week promoted to the position of winner after Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) was stripped of the race due to a positive test to altrenogest.
Another half-brother, War Memorial (Fastnet Rock), broke his maiden at Gosford on Saturday, while Glenfiddich, a Fastnet Rock colt out of Nothin But A Dream, was a last-start runner-up in the G1 Champagne S.
Exceed And Excel x Smokin' Alice (USA) (colt)
"It’s one of the families that I have obviously cut my teeth on from originally owning Gainesville. We have gone and sourced those mares in America and touch wood, they are starting to deliver. The oldest are only three and are starting to perform," Smith said.
Given the success of the family of mares with both Fastnet Rock and Exceed And Excel, there is no surprise in where Smith is thinking of sending Piacenza to this year.
"We haven't finalised anything as yet, but obviously she is related to all our good mares and also closely related to Glenfiddich and Eleven Eleven. She will be mated well and she will probably more than likely go to Fastnet Rock or Exceed And Excel," he said.
"She will be mated well and she will probably more than likely go to Fastnet Rock or Exceed And Excel." - Ian Smith
Whether Edinburgh Park decides to keep the Medaglia D'Oro filly or sell her, she will be extremely valuable. There are only three mares in Australia set to foal this spring to the Darley stallion, who has not shuttled to Australia since 2017.
One of the others, Devout Heiress (USA) (Speightstown {USA}), is up for sale at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale this week. Catalogued as Lot 623, she will be offered by Baystone Farm.
Watch: Lot 623 - Devout Heiress (USA) parade
Magic mares ready for market
Edinburgh Park is offering 11 mares through the Sale, six of them in absentia. The draft includes mares in foal to Rubick, Trapeze Artist, Written Tycoon (2), Exceed And Excel, Shooting To Win, Spirit Of Boom, Brave Smash (Jpn), So You Think (NZ), Russian Revolution and Vancouver.
On offer are stakes-winning mares Kiss Bang Love (Demerit) and Miss Marx (Anabaa {USA}) and stakes-placed pair Royal Bender (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) and Vienesse Star (I Am Invincible).
While there is significant uncertainty in to how the breeding stock market will fare in the current environment, Smith carries an air of confidence into the Sale.
Lot 264 - Kiss Bang Love
"I think the Sale will be strong. There are plenty of people there that realise that now is the time to be upgrading your mares. The industry is still very buoyant, the online sales have been particularly strong and I don’t see any reason why this Sale won't be just as successful," he said.
"We have all got businesses to run and you need quality stock, and that's available at this Sale. You need that to keep the wheels rolling. Everyone should have a bit of confidence that the world will get better and we need to push through it."
Smith has also been pleased with how prospective buyers have dealt with having to inspect mares off complex due to them being close to their foaling dates and said technology has played a major part in smoothing that process.
"We've done a lot of videos and given as much information as we can to the online buyers. In a way, all the farms now are providing very professional videos. With breeding stock, it is easy to showcase your mares in that format and people are happy to buy using that," he said.
